Ken'ei facts for kids

Ken'ei (pronounced Ken-ay) was a special name for a period of time in Japanese history. It's like how we have years, but in old Japan, they also used era names. The Ken'ei era came after the Genkyū era and before the Jōgen era. It lasted from April 1206 to October 1207. During this time, Emperor Tsuchimikado was the ruler of Japan.

Important Events of the Ken'ei Era

• 1206 (Ken'ei 1, 2nd month): Minamoto no Sanetomo, who was the powerful military leader known as the Shogun, became even more important in the emperor's court. His rank was raised, showing his growing influence.
• April 16, 1206 (Ken'ei 1, 7th day of the 3rd month): Emperor Tsuchimikado was planning to visit a very important person named Kujō Yoshitsune. However, the night before the visit, someone unknown sadly killed Yoshitsune. After this event, Konoe Iezane was chosen to be the sesshō, which means a special helper or regent for the emperor. Also, Fujiwara no Tadatsune became the Minister of the Left (sadaijin), a very high government position.
• 1206 (Ken'ei 1, 12th month): Later in the same year, Konoe Iezane changed roles. He stopped being the sesshō and instead became the kampaku, which is another important title for a chief advisor to the emperor.
• 1207 (Ken'ei 1): A Buddhist monk named Hōnen and his followers were sent away from the capital city. This was a big event because Hōnen's teachings were very popular, and sending him away caused a lot of discussion.

Related Pages

• Kamakura period

• National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection